title: Survey of diagnostic services for genital herpes in fourteen countries in Eastern Europe.
abstract: This paper reports survey-based data on the diagnosis and management of genital herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection in 14 countries of the Eastern European Network for Sexual and Reproductive Health (EE SRH). Only 43% of the countries could provide the number of genital HSV cases recorded at national level. Eighty-six percent of countries employed syndromic management in cases of genital ulcer disease. Most countries performed type-specific and/or non-type-specific enzyme immunoassays to detect HSV antibodies. Non-type-specific serology for diagnostic purposes should be actively discouraged. Direct detection methods for HSV, such as PCR, antigen detection and culture, are available in the region, but their usage was extremely low. Their use in Eastern European countries should be actively promoted. The availability of laboratory services must be improved, and countries in the region should implement consensus recommendations for the laboratory diagnosis of genital HSV infections in order to improve clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Sweden. marius.domeika@medsci.uu.se
authors.forename: Marius
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Domeika
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Babayan
authors.forename: Rashad
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ismailov
authors.forename: Iryna
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Shimanskaya
authors.forename: Krasimira
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chudomirova
authors.forename: Tatjana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brilene
authors.forename: Oleg
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kvlividze
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Deak
authors.forename: Gulsum
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Askarova
authors.forename: Galina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mamajeva
authors.forename: Vesta
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kucinskiene
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Frigo
authors.forename: Alevtina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Savicheva
authors.forename: Tatiana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Krasnoselskich
authors.forename: Gennadiy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mavrov
authors.forename: Olim
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kasymov
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Izvekova
authors.forename: Magnus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Unemo
authors.forename: Ronald Campbell
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Ballard
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003954:Diagnostic Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006558:Herpes Genitalis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018580:Mandatory Testing; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012698:Serologic Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014773:Virology / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D015415:Biomarkers; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic